


what you did today

by empressearwig



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-09
Updated: 2012-04-09
Packaged: 2017-11-03 07:37:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/378929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressearwig/pseuds/empressearwig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally does not accept the break up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what you did today

The day after Sportsmaster ends up in Belle Reve at the hands of the team, Artemis breaks up with Wally. Wally might be a boy, with all the accompanying boy blindness, but even he's not blind enough to miss the connection.

He tries to be understanding. Having a super villain for a dad must _suck_ , and he can see how it would make someone doubt their ability to be in a normal, functional relationship, even with someone completely awesome, which, fyi, he totally is. But a week goes by with nary an apology for being so shortsighted, and then two weeks without the begging him to take her back scene that he's been imagining, and enough is enough. His understanding has limits, and the fact of the matter is that he flat out _misses_ her.

Wally misses her stupid hair and how it always manages to work its way into his mouth when they're making out, and the fact that Artemis has never met a midriff baring top that she didn't like, and don't even get him started on how much he misses her boots. Those boots have a regular, starring feature in Wally's fantasies and he's not even ashamed to admit it. No one who's ever seen them would judge him for it.

And he misses other stuff too, like how good she smells and how she never lets him get away with anything and how she always double checks to see if he remembered his snacks before they go on a mission, and okay, the list of things he _doesn't_ miss would probably be shorter.

So Wally does what he does best: he solicits his best friends help in plotting against his girlfriend (because that is what she is, whatever she might say). And Robin is only too happy to help, which means that Zatanna is only too happy to help, and suddenly the entire team is in on Operation Get Wally and Artemis Back Together, as Meg dubs it. Wally's grateful for the help, even if he hates the name. Beggars can't be choosers, or whatever it is that his mom always used to say.

The plan is simple. Zatanna will call Artemis to the Cave for a girls night, only she and everyone else will have vacated the premises before Artemis arrives, leaving only Wally for company. Robin will promptly shut down the zeta tubes immediately after Artemis gets there, thus ensuring that no one else is getting in or out, leaving Artemis no choice but to talk to Wally.

It's a good plan. Which is, of course, why it had no chance of succeeding.

First, Artemis makes it to the Cave in like, record time. She pops out of the zeta right as everyone else is standing in front of them getting ready to go, and because she's not dumb about things like recognizing a set up when one is right in front of her, her hackles immediately go up.

"What's going on?" Artemis asks, already bristling. Her arms are folded over her chest and her booted toes are tapping against the floor.

Wally groans. This was really not how he wanted the boots reintroduced into his life. It really, really wasn't.

Bless her, Zatanna tries to cover. "We were just going out to buy ice cream. We'll be right back. I promise!" She rushes everyone else into the zeta tubes before Artemis can say a word or jump in after them.

Which leaves them alone, even if it wasn't how they were supposed to end up that way. And judging by the look in Artemis's eyes when she turns to face him, Artemis is only all too aware of that fact too.

"Wally," she says, her voice tight, "want to tell me what's going on?"

"Hey, beautiful," he tries, desperate to salvage the situation. "Fancy meeting you here."

" _Wally_."

And just like that, his will crumples, because really. How is anyone supposed to stand up to her when her voice does that vaguely threatening thing?

"I may have asked them all to give us some time together."

Artemis shakes her head, her hands dropping to her sides and balling into fists. "I can't _believe_ you. _God_ , Wally, what part of I don't want to --"

Which is Wally's cue to cut her off, because even he has his limits. "No, Artemis. If you really didn't want to be my girlfriend anymore, that would be one thing. But that's not it, is it?" He takes a careful step toward her, watching her face for signs of imminent kicking or hitting. He's man enough to admit that she could kick his ass and that he sort of likes it. That doesn't mean he wants to give her the chance to do it. "You still like me. I still like you. And yet we're not together. You want to tell me why?"

"I don't like you."

Wally takes another step closer until he's close enough that he can grab her wrists. "Liar."

Artemis laughs, a little bitter and a little broken. "Yep. That's me. I mean, how was I ever supposed to be anything else?"

"Artemis. Look at me." He takes a chance on letting go of one of her hands to tilt her face towards his. "You are not your dad. You couldn't ever be him."

"You don't know that."

He looks her dead in the eye, willing her to believe him. "I do know that. I wish you'd believe me."

Artemis breaks his hold on her wrist and starts to pace. "You don't get it, Wally. You _couldn't_ get it, and I love that about you, but --"

"Wait," he says, holding up his hand. "Repeat that please."

Artemis looks confused.

Wally tries not to grin triumphantly.

"Repeat what?" she asks.

"Oh, I don't know, the part about you loving me?" He snags her wrist again and drags her closer. He wraps his arms around her so that she can't get away. "I'd really like to hear that part again."

She shakes her head, trying to deny it. "You must have been hearing things."

"I was," Wally says, nodding his head and giving into the grin. "I was hearing you say that you love me." He leans in closer. "Can you keep a secret?"

Artemis snorts. "Obviously."

"I love you, too."

Wally doesn't wait for her answer, but kisses her. He kisses her with all the pent up frustration of the last two weeks of not being able to kiss her. He kisses her with everything he feels for her now, and everything he wants to feel in the future. He kisses her so that she'll understand that what's between them is real and that he won't let her mess it up if she promises to do the same for him. He kisses her because he needs to kiss her like he needs to breathe. He kisses her because it's the only thing in the world he wants to do, and finally, _finally_ when she kisses him back, Wally knows that she's gotten the message.

When the matter of breathing becomes urgent enough that Wally has to break the kiss, he drops down onto the couch and pulls her onto his lap. He nuzzles against her neck, his thumb stroking along the bare strip of skin on her stomach. "So," he says, kissing the spot on her collarbone that makes her shiver, "how was your day?"

Artemis tugs him up by his ears to kiss her. Wally doesn't complain once.


End file.
